Achille gilain



(No Model.)

A.. GILAIN.

EVAPORATING 0R DRYING APPARATUS. No. 277,704.

N. PETERS. Phowmhognphnr. washmgtan. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

ACHILLE GILAIN, OF EMRESIN, BELGIUM.

EVAPORATING OR DRYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 277,704, dated May 15, 1883,

ApplicationV filed January 11, 1583. (No inodeLy To all whom Iit may concern Be it known that I, ACHILLE GILAIN, residing at Embresin, in the Kingdom of Belgium, have invented new and useful Im proveA ments in Evaporating or Drying Apparatus, (for which no patent has been obtained in any other country except in Belgium on the 31st of October, 1882, No. 59,426,) of which the following is a specification. l

For many years the problem of the evapora tion of liquids has been the order of the day. The numerous attempts made to arrive ata practical and economical result testify to the importance of this question. The invention ofapparatus for evaporating in vacuo has been a great progressive step, and continued efforts daily add new matter to ourknowledge on the subject.

In the apparatus for evaporating iu vacuo at present employed vapor has invariably been used as the source of heat. The vapor so emy ployed has either been generated expressly i'or the purpose or been derived from the exhaust or waste of engines.

The present invention is applicable to the evaporation and concentration of saccharine solutions, liquids resulting from diffusion or osmose aciduous or alkaline solutions or compounds, or, in general, any liquid as well as for the purpose ot' drying saccharine juices, Svc., in grains.

The invention consists in the employment of apparatus for evaporatin g in. vacuo in which steam is not introduced into a single or the irst of a series otsugar-vessels, but the sugarvessel, or vessel containing the liquid or material to bev evapora-ted, condensed, or dried, is placed in the gas-passage between the last ilue ot one or a series of generators and the chimney in such manner as to utilize the waste heat ot' the products of combustion. These heated gases, traversing the tubular lues provided therefor in the evaporating-vessel, evaporate the liquid therein contained. rlhe vapors given oft' within the evaporator are conducted to a condenser'and air-pump, if a single evaporating-vessel be used, or else into the vapor-chainber of a second" evaporator, where they serve anew as source ofheat. In this last-mentioned case the remainder of' the apparatus is exactly similar to the apparatus for evaporating in a train of evaporating-pans described in all the Patented in Belgium October 1&1, 1882, No. 59,426.

works to date treating' ot' this matter. It is this last methodutilizing the waste gas ol' the generators-which in practice will find the most frequent application.

The following are among the advantages attained by my invention: First, the employment of the direct heat ot' the flames oi' combustion is considerably moreecouomical than those apparatus in which the losses due to the production ot' the vapor employed are augmented by condensation in theA passages and the frequent and inevitable lealrages; second, the employment of the tubular vessel placed on tlie'way from the heating-furnace to the stack permits the recovery and utilization ot' alare portion of the heat which would other wise pass off by the stack, this waste heatin most similar apparatus i'ar surpassing in extent that which is necessitated for d raft; third, the employment ot' the tubular vessel, placed as before indicated, allows for thesole expense ot' its application of the augmentation without expense ot' fuel ofthe power of apparatus for evaporating iv. vacuo, whichin most cases-in sugarmanui'acturing notably-is far too weak; fourth, the'employment ot' this i'orm ofevaporating-vessel permits the using at need ol" the waste or exhaust steam from an engine sup,- plied by the generator before mentioned in addition to the vapor from the irst evaporator, which greatly augments the. power ot' the-followingevaporator or, iifth, the apparatus may be effectually worked without the use ofthe exhaust-steam, thus permitting the employment of perfected engines with variable cutoff-and at low pressure, whence there results a still further and considerable economy of fuel. y y K To the end that my invention in its preferred form may be more fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the tubular evaporator is shown as situated in. the escapeiiue or a group of generators and connected directly to another vessel, which receives the vapors andliquids of thelirst, and which is itself connected to a third vessel, whence the vapors iiow to a condenser and air-pump, the whole forming, for thecirculation ofthe liquids and vapors, an apparatus similarto that for evaporating in a train ot' evaporating-pans.

It is evident that the vessel in the escape- IOO flue can at will be connected directly to au air-pump, or to another vessel, or to a train of evaporating-vessels.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved apparatus on the line 1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof' on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is avertical sec tion, taken at right angles to that shown in Fig. l, on the line 3 3, Figs. l and 2.

A A are a series of steam-generators.

B B are a series of dampers, which when open admit the stillheated products o t' combustion to a common escape-tine, C, by means ot' which they are conducted to the stack C. The construction of the heat-generator being no part of the present invention, afurther description thereof is not considered necessary.

D is the evaporating-vessel, constructed with sides of sheet-iron and heads ot' bronze or wrought or cast iron. The heads are pierced for the con nection thereto ofa nu ni ber oftubes, D', ot' iron or brass, serving as Hues through the vessel for the escaping products of combustion in the flue G. The sum of the sections ot' the tubes D may be equal to or even less than the section ot' the stack. rlhe vessel D is furnished with the necessary means of introducing and permitting the exit of liquid, as

`the dampers E and F opened. When the evaporator is at rest the damper G is opened and the dampers E and F closed. The quantity of heat applied to the evaporator, and consequently the speed ot' evaporation, may be regulated by simultaneously opening the dampers E, F, and G to any desired extent, according to the ei'I'ect desired.

K is a man-hole, permitting access to the tubes for cleaning.

L is a pipe conducting the vapors of the tirst vessel, D, into the safety-column M, whence they pass to the vapor-chamber of the second vessel, H, whence they pass in the same lnanner to a second safety-column, N, and from there tothe vapor-chamber of the third v essel, I. The vapors ot' this last vessel pass to the safety-column Q, and thence by the conductor 'It to the condenser and air-pump.

The apparatus for convey ing the liquid and for the production of the vacuum are similar to those usually employed for these purposes.

It will be seen that the present invention permits of the direct utilization ot' the gases from a furnace or from the flues ot' generating apparatus for the evaporation and concentration in vacuo by means of simple or multiple tubular vacuum-pans.

Actual tests of the apparatus show the economy of fuel given and the valuable additions which will be rendered thereby to plants already madein which the evaporating-power is at little cost greatly augmented.

I reserve the right to employ the apparatus above described andplaced in the escape-flue of a furnace or of agroup of generators for the evaporation in the open air ot' all the liquids mentioned in the 'tirst part ot' this specification, to employ the process above describedin connection with engines with variable cut-oif'or at low pressure, or to utilize the heat of the exhaust-steam before its arrival at the condenser, whether by making it pass through tubes to warm the liquid to be condensed, or by passing it through a worm in the evaporating-vessel, or by its application to any desired object, always, however, passing the exhauststeam through a means of utilizing the same during its passage from the exhaust to the condenser. f

Having thus described'my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an evaporating and condensing apparatus, the vessel D, situate in the dischargetine ot' a furnace, and having tubular tues D, for the passage et' the `escaping products of combustion, and means for the entrance ofuid and discharge of fluids and vapors, substantially as and for'the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of vesselD, havingtubes D', with dampers E F G, situate in the escapeue of a furnace, as set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed this speci- .tication in the presence ot' two subscribing witnesses.

AC H ILLE GILAIN;

Witnesses EMILE PICARD, ADoLPF STEIN.

IOO 

